Safety door lock



Filed Jan. 4, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A free/m25 Aug. 14, 1962 J. PxcKLEs 3,049,372

SAFETY DOORLOCK Filed Jan. 4, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

'/I /4 TOR/VE VJ Aug. 14, 1962 J. PICKLES SAFETY DooRvLocx 4 Sheens-Sheei'l 5 Filed Jan. 4, 1960 IN VEN TOR.

J 0 J'P/l P/CAL 6 A 7" zO/P Aug. 14, 1962 J. PICKLES SAFETY DOOR LOCK Filed Jan. 4, 1960 4 Shee'cs-SheerI 4 United States Patent Olice 3,049,372 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 Michigan Filed Jan. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 333 7 Claims. (Cl. 292-216) The present invention relates to an improved automobile door lock characterized by features to insure the safety of a child Within the automobile by making it impossible for the child to operate the usual inside door handle to open the door and fall from the vehicle.

It is an object of the invention to provide a childs safety lock of this character which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and which, other than in the safety features, incorporates lock structure of a reliable nature. Specifically, `although the latching details of the structure constitute no part of the present invention, the lock is improved in that it is of a type in which, in locked condition, movement of a latch detent from a position in which it holds a rotative latch bolt in doorlatching position is prevented by physically blocking such movement of the detent in a novel manner. However, those `skilled in the art will appreciate the fact that the child safety features of the present invention are also readily applicable to a lock in which unlatching movement of the detent is prevented by some other type of blocking action, or by disabling 'the operating connection between the door operating member or handle and the detent, as in a so-called lost motion or free-wheeling type of lock.

Moreover, either of the improvements as relating to the improved blocking feature, the child safety feature, or both, may be incorporated either in a lock of the forked latch type, characterized by a latch which, when released, is spring urged to a door-releasing position, or in a lock of the rotary bolt type, characterized by a door latching bolt which, when released from the holding action of the detent, rotates freely and unidirectionally in parting from holding engagement with a keeper.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a ohilds safety automobile door lock, in which unlatching of the door by a child is prevented by blocking movement of an inside-operated detent releasing member of the usual remote control link connection to the inside door handle of the space occupied by the child.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lock which, whether possessing the improved child safety feature or not, is placed in a locked condition by physically blocking motion of an outside operated, pivoted and detent-bearing latch release member, such as would other- Wise move the detent to releasing position, through the agency of a swingable looking plate paralleling the pivotal axis of said member. This plate may be operated from the usual inside push button of the door, or from the inside handle, in such a manner as to move the plate into the path of movement of an extension on the outside operated member, and thereby block motion of the latter in the direction to release the latch detent.

Another object is to provide an improved lock in which the locking or blocking plate referred to is coordinated with the provisions for placing the child safety mechanism into and out of operative condition, under the control of the usual door push button. That is, when the push button is moved in one direction, as by pulling it up, the inside operated member of the lock is blocked in the manner vdescribed above to place the child safety feature in effect; whereas, when it is moved in the other direction, as by pushing the button down, the latch detent is blocked against unlatching movement by the outside operator; while when the push button is in a neutral or intermediate position the latch detent is unlocked for movement by either the inside or the outside operators.

The foregoing as well'as other objects will become more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:

FIGS. l and 2 are similar fragmentary elevational views of locking features only of the improved lock, with which features the invention deals to the exclusion of the locks conventional rotary bolt or forked latching means, the views respectively showing the locking provisions when the child safety feature is in operative locking condition and in inoperative unlocking position;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are, respectively, views in section along lines 3+-3 and 4-4 of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a top plan View showing portions of the mounting plate and `detent of the lock, the' detent being the only latching control feature pertinent to the operation of the locking device of the invention;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary elevational views showing an alternative embodiment of the invention, with the childs safety features respectively in a locking and unlocking position;

FIG. 8 is an end elevation, as from the left of FIG. 6r, showing operating members involved in the child safety improvement;

FIGS. 9 and l0 are, respectively, fragmentary views in section along lines corresponding to lines 9 9 and lll-lll of FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view showing features of a further modified type of child safety lock; andV FIGS. l2 and 13 are, respectively, views in section along lines 12-12 and 13-13 of FIG. 1l, being fragmentary in nature.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown `in FIGS. l through 5 of the drawings. The reference numeral 10 generally designates a fixed mounting plate in the form of a rigid sheet metal stamping which is adapted to be suitably secured in a known manne-r to the free edge of an automobile door, with an'upright, approximately rectangular plate portion proper 11 thereof exposed flush with that edge and an integral 90 flange portion 12 extending around the entire side of the door, in an entirely conventional fashion. A flange extension piece 13 is welded on flange 12 for a purpose to be described.

The plate 11 serves as a mount for either a forked type of latch member or a rotary bolt type (neither shown in the drawings but both well known in the alt). The invention does not concern anything of such latching means, save to the extent that the locking actions of the improvement involve -a so-called detent or latch holding member 15 (FIGS. 3 and f5), conventionally associated with either type and operated from an outside door handle or push button, -as well as a lever controlled from an inside door handle. Accordingly, none of the other known latching (as distinguished from locking) features have been shown, in the interest of simplicity and clarity. Those skilled in the art will understand that they Will normally include a toothed or abutment carrying latch member which pivots or rotates with the latch fork or lbolt mentioned above, 'and will be mounted as a unit on the plate 11. It is for the purpose of engaging and releasably holding such latching uni-t that the detent 15, as shown in FIG. 3, is provided with an abutment shoulder 16, which, as applied to a forktype latch, will engage a shoulder of such latch and prevent the spring urgedswing of the latter to release position. In a rotary bolt lock the detent will be of another well known type.

Further, and also in a known fashion, the detent 15 is mounted to swing the same about a suitable pivot 17 on the plate portion 11 of mounting plate 10, and has a depending tail extension 1'8 adapted to be actuated by an outside operated button or handle (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, and it is to be understood that similar features carry through the other embodiments to be described, the detent member 15 has a nose portion 19 which extends through an elongated upright slot 20 in the mounting plate flange 12, enabling swing of detent 15 from its solid line latching position (FIG. 3) to the dotted line release position, in which the shoulder 16 is disengaged from an abutment on the latch unit (not shown) to enable the door to be opened.

In accordance with the invention and as also shown in FIG. 3, the detent 15 has a downwardly projecting extension 22, which, when the structure is in unlocked position, is adapted to swing clockwise and forwardly and upwardly through the flange slot 20. However, when the door is in the locked condition of FIG. 3, such swing is blocked by the top portion of a locking plate 23, to be described.

FIG. 5 of the drawings shows the manner in which the detent is offset 90 at 25 to `bring the nose 19 and extension 22 (both in turn offset 90 outwardly) into a plane paralleling the latching shoulder 16 in which they may swing through slot 20 to their dotted line position of FIG. 3 when the structure is unlocked.

The locking plate 23 is pivotally mounted on the mounting plate ange 12 by means of a suitable pin 27 or the like, and is provided with a blocking nose portion 28 adjacent the plate member 11. This nose portion is, upon pivotal movement of plate 23 about pin 27, adapted to be shifted into and out of a blocking position, shown in FIG. 1, in which it presents a side surface across the path of swinging movement of the downward extension 22 of the latch member 15 (as shown in FIG. 3). The movement of the blocking nose 28 into this blocking position is counterclockwise in reference to the pivot 27. It is shiftable clockwise out of such position into the position of FIG. 2, in which it is out of blocking relation to the extension 23, and in moving to this last named position the nose 28 passes into a vertical slot 29 in the plate member 11. Motion of locking plate 23 in the counterclockwise direction is limited by engagement of an edge stop portion 30 on the locking plate with the fixed mounting plate 11, as Shown in FIG. 1. A conventional overcenter spring device 31 acts between the plate flange 12 and the locking plate 23, which it engages at 32, to snap the plate past a center position into either of the positions of FIGS. 1 and 2, in an entirely conventional manner.

The reference numeral 34 (FIGS. 1 and 2) designates an operating lever pivotally mounted at 35 in a suitable manner on an offset extension 36 of mounting plate ange 12. Lever 34 carries an operating toe 37 which is adapted to engage beneath the latch member 15 and, upon counterclockwise movement of operating member 34 about its pivot 35, to move the latch member upwardly `(or clockwise about its pivot 17 on plate 10, as shown in FIG. 3), and thus move member 15 from its solid line to its dotted line position of FIG. 3, releasing the latch unit (not shown) to permit opening of the door. When shifted reversely to the position of the toe illustrated in FIG. 1, its motion is limited by engagement with a fixed olset stop formation 39 on flange 12.

The operating lever 34 has an upstanding operating arm 40 to which an actuating link 41 is pivotally connected at 42. The link 41 is part of a suitable linkage of appropriate type which is actuated from the inside door handle of the locking mechanism, in an entirely conventional and well-known manner.

Operating lever 34 affords part of the child safety feature of the invention, in the form of an offset shoulder 43 thereon presenting a downwardly facing abutment edge 44. This edge is adapted to be blocked by the secondary child safety lock lever of the invention, generally designated 45, which has an offset stop lug 46 formed on an upward extension 47 thereof. The lock lever 45 is suitably pivoted, as by a pin 48, on the fixed extension piece 13 attached to the mounting plate flange 12.

It is seen by reference to FIGS. l and 2 that, with the child safety lock lever 45 in its operative position of FIG. 1 of the drawings, the stop lug 46 engages beneath the stop edge 44 of shoulder 43 on operating lever 34, thereby preventing counterclockwise swing of the lever 34 about its pivot 35 upon actuation to the left of the inside-operated link 41, as by a child in a vehicle. However, when swung counterclockwise about its pivot 48, the lock lever 45 has its abutment 46 moved out of the path of swing of shoulder 43, as shown in FIG. 2, so that the lock may be unlatched from the inside. Provisions for manipulating the child safety lock lever 45 in the above way will be described.

To this end, the primary locking plate 23 is provided adjacent its lower edge with an arcuate slot 50, into which a offset tail 51 (FIG. 4) on an elongated actuating rod 52 is received. This tail portion may also have associated with it a suitable grommct member 53 which mounts an offset stop portion 54 for coaction with overcenter spring 31 and the primary locking plate 23. Thus, with the parts in the position shown in FIG. 1, i.e., with the top abutment nose 28 of locking plate 23 interposed across the path of unlatching swing of latch member 15, an initial motion of actuating rod 52 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, brings offset tail 51 into engagement with the left-hand end of slot 50, whereupon a slight further movement to the left causes locking plate 23 to be swung counterclockwise. It is to be assumed that locking plate 23 has been placed in the position of FIG. 1 by a motion of rod tail 51 to the right in slot 50, and engagement with the right-hand end of that slot to swing locking plate counterclockwise into its locking and blocking position of FIG. 1. For this type of actuation, the rod 51 is suitably connected to a conventional push button (not shown) in the molding of the automobile door, in an entirely conventional way, so that when the push button is depressed, the locking plate 23 is in the FIG. 1 position.

Upon the unlocking motion of rod' 52 and its tail 51 to the left in slot 50, as described above, the tail 51 first engages the left-hand end of slot 50, occasioning a. sufficient counterclockwise motion of locking plate 23 about its pivot 27 to enable the overcenter spring 31 to snap plate 23 to its unlocked and unblocking position of FIG. 2, thereby causing the tail 51 of rod 52 to be now positioned at the right-hand end of slot 50. This is a neutral or unlocked position of the parts, in which 1t may be assumed that, as indicated partially in dotted line in FIG. l, the locking lug 46 of child saftey lock lever 45 is swung out of position to engage beneath the stop shoulder 43 on inside-operated lever 34. The push button is at an intermediate position above its depressed, locking position, and the lock may be unlatched through either the outside or the inside door handles (not shown).

In order to place the child safety feature in effect, and assuming that the parts are in the neutral or unlocked position, referred to above, with the latch member 15 engaging the bolt latch, the push button referred to is simply pulled fully upward. This shifts control or actuating rod 52 to the left (as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2), so that its tail portion 51, positioned at the right'hand end of plate slot 50, will again move left-wise in that slot.

As so moved, the tail 51 is engaged with an adjacent inclined edge 56 of an offset operating foot 57 integrally depending from the child safety lever 45, in the manner indicated in dotted line in FIG. 2. This foot is permitted to operate in side-wise parallel relation to the primary locking plate 23, overlapping the edge of the latter, by relieving the adjacent edge of plate 23 and providing an integrally offset finger 59 on the latter, under which the foot 57 may pass and by which it may be guided for the engagement of its edge 56 by the tail 51 of actuating rod 52.. On the assumption that the inside-operated lever 34 is in the solid line position of FIG. 1, the clockwise movement of child safety lever 45 about its pivot at 48, which is occasioned by the rod 52, causes the stop lug 46 to move in underneath the shoulder 43 of lever 34, thus to block the counterclockwise unlatching movement of its toe 3-7 against latch member 15.

The child safety lever 45 is further provided with a laterally offset extension at 61 which is forked at its extremity to provide upper and lower fingers 62, 63, respectively. The upper linger is engageable by the latch member 15, in the upward unlatching movement of the latter, to shift safety locking lever 45 counterclockwise and upwardly, i.e., from the solid line position of FIG. 1 to that shown in dotted line in FIG. 1 and in solid line in FIG. 2. This has the effect of automatically rendering inoperative the child safety feature (by swinging lug 46 to its dotted line position) when the lock is unlatched from the outside of the door. When the latch member returns downwardly to its latching position it will engage the lower finger 63 of safety lock lever 45 to return the latter to a neutral position, from which it may be further swung clockwise about its pivot 48 upon manipulation of the push button rod 52 in the manner referred to above.

FIGS. 6 through 10 of the drawings illustrate a modiiied embodiment of the invention, in which the safety iocking provisions are very similar to those shown in FiGS. l through 5 so that corresponding numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts and relationships. Here it will be noted that the child safety locking lever 45 has but a single operating iinger 62 on its laterally offset extension di, this finger being engaged, as in the former case, by the latching member 15 in the upward, unlatching motion of the latter as produced by the outside door handle. In other respects, the operation of the latch member 15 by the inside-operated lever 34 is the same as discussed above, as is the blocking .and locking action of the lug 46 on lever 45 in relation to the shoulder 43 on lever 34.

It should be noted that the locking plate 23 of the embodiment of the invention of FIGS. 6 through 1G is modified and differs from that of FIGS. l through 5, in that its action of blocking unlatching motion of latching member i5 is performed by a hook formation 65 `at the top of an integral vertical extension 66 of blocking plate 23, 4which comes into blocking position above member I5, as shown in FiG. 6, when the locking plate is in operative position. Plate Z3 is swung to the inoperative, release position of FIG. 7 when the locking plate is swung clock-wise about its pivot 27 through the agency of a push button controlled operating rod 52, in the manner described above.

A further moditied adaptation of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. ll, l2 and 13 of the drawings. Here the locking plate 23 is of the type illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, hence has its parts correspondingly designated. The same is true of the childs safety locking lever 45. However, in this case the safety locking lever lacks the actuating foot 57 of the lirst two embodiments.

It is, instead, adapted to be swung to an operative locking position, in which the lug 4e blocks shoulder 43, by an inside handle-operated link `68, rather than by push button control. To this end, the link 6d is provided with a horizontally elongated slot 69, and the upper extension 4d of inside-operated lever 34 is equipped with a transverse pin '711i which is slidable in slot 69. Furthermore, the adjacent end of link 68 is equipped with a laterally projecting shoe 71 which, as link 68 is moved to the right (in the direction reverse to that of its unlatchinc7 movement) is engageable with the linger 62 of safety locking lever 45, thus to swing that lever to its locking position, shown in solid line in FIG. ll, with its locking lug 46 beneath the stop shoulder 43. This movement results when the left-hand end of slot 69 engages and pushes the pin 70. When link 68 is moved oppositely to the left, the right-hand end of slot 69 engages pin 79 to actuate the inside-operated lever 34 in its unlatching direction. This, of course, takes place only when the primary locking lever 23 is retracted away from the blocking position shown in FiG. ll.

The invention affords an improved lock of considerable simplicity .and of low production cost, featuring a novel locking action, in which a swingable locking plate presents its side surface in blocking position across the path of movement of an outside-operated latch member; as distinguished from other types of blocking action heretofore employed. Further, the invention presents various alternative .adaptations of child safety features, whereby an automobile door may be locked against unlatching movement by a juvenile occupant.

The `drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved safety door lock in such full, clear, concise .and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A lock for an automobile door or the like, cornprising a mounting plate having portions extending at a right angle to one another, a latching member mounted on said mounting plate to move transversely of one of said portions in an unlatching action of said member, said portion having .a recess to accommodate said member in said action, a locking member mounted on said mounting plate for movement parallel to said other portion and into and out of position in which it blocks said recess and the unlatching action of said latching member accommodated thereby, an operating member mounted on said mounting plate for movement to engage and impart said unlatching action to said latching member, said operating member having means to actuate the same from the inside of said door, a supplemental locking member mounted on said mounting plate for movement into and out of position in which it prevents an operating engagement of said operating member with said latching member, and means actuable from the inside of said door to actuate said supplemental locking member into and out of said engagement-preventing position thereof, said supplemental locking member having a p0rtion directly engaged by said last named means upon actuation of the latter to eifect said movement of said supplemental member into said engagement-preventing position thereof.

2. A lock for an automobile door or the like, comprising a mounting plate having portions extending at a right angle to one another, a latching member mounted on one of said portions to move parallel thereto and transversely of the other portion in an unlatching laction of said member, said other portion having a recess to accommodate said member in said action, a locking member mounted on said other portion of said mounting plate for movement parallel to said other portion and into and out of position in which it blocks said recess and the unlatching action of said latching member ac- D commodated thereby, an operating member mounted on said mounting plate for movement to engage and impart said unlatching action to said latching member, said operating member having means to actuate the same from the inside of said door, a supplemental locking member mounted on said other portion of said mounting plate for movement into and out of position in which it prevents an operating engagement of said operating member with said latching member, and means actuable from the inside of said door to actuate said supplemental locking member into and out of said engagement-preventing position thereof, said supplemental locking member having a portion directly engaged by said last named means upon actuation of the latter to effect said movement of said supplemental member into said engagement-preventing position thereof.

3. A lock for an automobile door or the like, comprising a mounting plate having portions extending at a right angle to one another, a latching member mounted on one of said portions to move parallel thereto and transversely of the other portion in an unlatching action of said member, said other portion having a recess to accommodate said member in said action, a locking member mounted on said other portion of said mounting plate for movement parallel to said other portion and into and out of position in which it blocks said recess and the unlatching action of said latching member accommodated thereby, said locking member comprising a generally flat locking plate pivotally mounted on said other portion of said iirst named plate to move parallel to the latter and present a side of the locking plate across the path of movement of said latching member toward said recess, an operating member mounted on said other portion of said mounting plate for movement to engage and impart said unlatching action to said latching member, said operating member having means to actuate the same from the inside of said door, a supplemental locking member mounted on said other portion of said mounting plate for movement into and out of position in which it prevents an operating engagement of said operating member with said latching member, and means actuable from the inside of said door to actuate said supplemental locking member into and out of said engagement preventing position thereof, said supplemental locking member having a portion directly engaged by said last named means upon actuation of the latter to et'eet said movement of said supplemental member into said engagement-preventing position thereof.

4. A lock for an automobile door or the like, comprising a mounting plate, a latching member mounted on said plate for a door unlatching action, means to actuate said member in said unlatching action from the outside of said door, an operating member mounted on said mounting plate for movement to engage .and impart said unlatching action to said latching member, said operating member having means to actuate the same from the inside of said door, a locking member mounted on said mounting plate for movement into and out of position in which it prevents an operating engagement of said operating member with said latching member, means for so moving said operating member, and a further locking member movable on said mounting plate into and out of position in which it engages said operating member and prevents said unlatchng action of said latching member by the operating member, said further locking member having means operated from the inside of said door and directly engaging said further locking member, when operated, to move the latter into said position to prevent said unlatching action.

5. A lock for an automobile door or the like, comprising a mounting plate, a latching member mounted on said plate for a door unlatching action, means to actuate said member in said unlatching action from the outside of said door, an operating member mounted'on said mounting plate for movement to engage and impart said unlatching action to said latching member, said operating member having means to actuate the same from the inside of said door, a locking member mounted on said mounting plate for movement into and out of position in which it prevents an operating engagement of said operating member with said latching member, and

a further locking member movable on said mounting plate into and out of position in which it engages said operating member and prevents said unlatching action of said latching member by the operating member, said further locking member having means operated from the inside of the door to directly engage and move said further locking member, when operated, into said position to prevent said unlatching action, said means operated from the inside of said door being also movable with said further locking member and engageable with said first named locking member to move the latter from its position to prevent said engagement of said operating member with said latching member for said unlatching action.

6. A lock for an automobile door or the like, cornprisng a mounting plate, a latching member mounted on said plate for a door unlatching action, means to actuate said member in said unlatching action from the outside of said door, an operatnig member mounted on said mounting plate for movement to engage `and impart said unlatching action to said latching member, said operating member having means to actuate the same from the inside of said door, a locking member mounted on said mounting plate for movement into and out of position in which it blocks and prevents an operating engagement of said operating member with said latching member, means for so moving said operating member, and a further locking member movable on said mounting plate into and out of position in which it blocks said operating member and prevents said unlatching action of said latching member by the operating member, said further locking member having means operated from the inside of said door and directly engaging said further locking member, when operated, to move the latter into said position to prevent said uniatching action.

7. A lock for an automobile door or the like, comprising a mounting plate, a latching member mounted on said plate for `a door unlatching action, means to actuate said member in said unlatching action from the outside of said door, an operating member mounted on said mounting plate for movement to engage and impart said unlatching action to said latching member, said operating member having means to actuate the same from the inside of said door, a locking member mounted on said mounting plate for movement into and out of position in which it blocks and prevents an operating engagement of said operating member with said latching member, and a further locking member movable on said mounting plate into and out of position in which it blocks said operating member and prevents said unlatching action of said latching member by the operating member, said further locking member having means operated from the inside of the door to directly engage and move said further locking member, when operated, into said position to prevent and unlatching action, said means operated from the inside of said door being also movable with said further locking member and engageable with said first named locking member to move the latter from its position prevent said engagement of said operating member with said latching member for said unlatching action.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,538,913 Roethel Ian. 23, 1951 2,569,042 Endter Sept. 25, 1951 2,707,124 Wartian Apr. 26, 1955 '2,716,569 Roethel Aug. 30, 1955 2,940,788 Thorne June 14, 1960 

